Europa League: Feyenoord send De Klassieker warning to Ajax with seven-goal rout of Shakhtar Donetsk
- Seb Sternik
- 16 March 2023
Feyenoord Rotterdam will head into Sunday’s De Klassieker on the back of a 7-1 thumping of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League.
Having salvaged a late 1-1 draw against the Ukrainian side last week, many anticipated a similarly close encounter in the second leg.
Instead, Feyenoord put on a clinic just three days before their potentially title deciding clash with Ajax Amsterdam.
Santiago Gimenez opened the scoring after just nine minutes as Feyenoord made the most of their fast start.
Orkun Kokcu then added a brace as the hosts went into the half-time break with a 3-0 advantage.
Shakhtar capitulated after the restart as Oussama Idrissi bagged a brace of his own to make it 5-0.
Two more goals inside two minutes from Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Danielo sealed the deal for the Eredivisie leaders.
Kevin Kelly found the back of the net for the visitors to deny Feyenoord a clean sheet, though it is the Dutch side who comfortably progressed to the quarter-finals with an 8-2 aggregate victory.
This was the second-biggest win for a Dutch side in a major European competition in the round-of-16 or beyond.
Ajax are the record holders having thrashed Omonia Nicosia 10-0 in the 1979/80 European Cup.
Speaking of the Amsterdam outfit, they will be looking to end Feyenoord's 20-match unbeaten run this weekend.
With just three points separating the two Dutch giants in the table, the result of Sunday's De Klassieker could have title winning implications.
